Los Angeles vs San Francisco - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Los Angeles San Francisco
🚶 Cost of living one person
$3378
$4040
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$7707
$8690
🏠 One person rent
$2168
$2814
🏘️ Family rent
$3725
$4668
🍽️ Food expenses
$743
$830
🚐 Transport expenses
$257
$179
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4258
$7450
😷 Air quality
Good
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
17 km
18 km
🎓 Higher education
99
97
😀 Quality of life
93
95
🏙️ Population
3.9M
874K

The cost of living in Los Angeles is 16% less expensive than in San Francisco. Cities ranked 72nd and 7th ($3378 vs $4040) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 52nd and 4th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 1.3 months in Los Angeles compared to 1.8 months in San Francisco. Ranked 8th vs 4th best cities to live in the United States, and 55th vs 30th among the best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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Prices in Los Angeles vs San Francisco

Prices for goods and services in Los Angeles and San Francisco are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Los Angeles San Francisco
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$21.9
$22.7
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$91
$98.1
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$13.3
$14
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$8.85
$7.92
 Cappuccino
$6.48
$6.1
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$3.25
$3.28
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$2352
$3172
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1867
$2480
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4129
$4983
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3274
$4258
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$139
$129
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$214
$199
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$65.8
$66.7
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.86%
6.52%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7811
$10615
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$7110
$9151
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.99
$3.01
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$94
$96.9
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$18.9
$19.8
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$1.24
$1.29
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.31
$1.61
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$4.27
$4.88
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.35
$5.69
🥚 Eggs, x12
$7.67
$7.75
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.2
$22
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.6
$14.1
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$20.3
$23.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$5.26
$7.01
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.66
$3.03
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.75
$5.42
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.63
$6.97
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.81
$3.87
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.78
$3.36
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.53
$2
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$3.45
$3.34
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.8
$18.8
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$3.39
$2.92
🚬 Cigarette pack
$12.2
$14
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$9.27
$13.1
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$7.78
$8
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$5.45
$7.03
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.81
$2.81
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$77.1
$102
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$18.2
$18
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$144
$150
💇 Haircut, simple
$32.3
$33.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$70.2
$70.9
👟 Brand Sneakers
$107
$105
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1715
$1918
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$28004
$21243

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Cities near Los Angeles

Distance City Cost of living
8.1 km or 5 mi Huntington Park
$2879
8.9 km or 5.5 mi Maywood
$2850
9.2 km or 5.7 mi Florence-Graham
$2917
10 km or 6.2 mi Bell
$2847
10 km or 6.2 mi Monterey Park
$2749
11 km or 6.6 mi Alhambra
$2976
11 km or 6.6 mi South Pasadena
$2993
11 km or 7 mi Cudahy
$2810
12 km or 7.6 mi San Gabriel
$3159
12 km or 7.7 mi Bell Gardens
$2775
12 km or 7.8 mi West Hollywood
$3086
13 km or 7.8 mi Montebello
$2769
13 km or 8 mi South Gate
$2820
13 km or 8.2 mi Glendale
$3695
14 km or 8.8 mi Inglewood
$3020
15 km or 9 mi Beverly Hills
$2912
15 km or 9.1 mi Lynwood
$2835
15 km or 9.3 mi Rosemead
$2850
15 km or 9.5 mi Culver
$3020
15 km or 9.6 mi Pasadena
$3768
16 km or 9.9 mi Pico Rivera
$2796
16 km or 10 mi Burbank
$3328
16 km or 10 mi Downey
$2698
17 km or 11 mi Compton
$2880
18 km or 11 mi La Canada Flintridge
$3157
18 km or 11 mi Hawthorne
$3057
18 km or 11 mi Temple
$2894
18 km or 11 mi South El Monte
$2842
18 km or 11 mi West Whittier-Los Nietos
$2789
18 km or 11 mi Paramount
$2770
19 km or 12 mi Gardena
$3051
20 km or 12 mi El Monte
$2847
21 km or 13 mi Lawndale
$3193
21 km or 13 mi Arcadia
$3019
21 km or 13 mi Bellflower
$2702
22 km or 14 mi Norwalk
$2688
22 km or 14 mi Santa Monica
$3588
22 km or 14 mi Whittier
$2815
23 km or 15 mi Manhattan Beach
$3262
24 km or 15 mi Carson
$2974

Cities near San Francisco

Distance City Cost of living
11 km or 6.9 mi Daly
$3252
14 km or 8.4 mi South San Francisco
$3245
14 km or 8.8 mi Alameda
$3277
15 km or 9.2 mi Oakland
$3212
16 km or 10 mi Albany
$3058
17 km or 10 mi Berkeley
$3242
17 km or 11 mi San Bruno
$3264
18 km or 11 mi El Cerrito
$3073
18 km or 11 mi Pacifica
$3255
19 km or 12 mi Richmond
$3083
20 km or 12 mi Millbrae
$3282
21 km or 13 mi San Pablo
$3058
22 km or 14 mi Burlingame
$3346
24 km or 15 mi San Leandro
$3007
24 km or 15 mi San Rafael
$4102
26 km or 16 mi San Mateo
$3831
28 km or 17 mi San Lorenzo
$2802
28 km or 18 mi Foster
$3604
29 km or 18 mi Lafayette
$2929
29 km or 18 mi Hercules
$2893
31 km or 19 mi Belmont
$3593
32 km or 20 mi Hayward
$2910
32 km or 20 mi Castro Valley
$2983
34 km or 21 mi San Carlos
$3359
34 km or 21 mi Walnut Creek
$2984
36 km or 23 mi Redwood
$3771
37 km or 23 mi Martinez
$2929
37 km or 23 mi Danville
$3778
37 km or 23 mi Pleasant Hill
$2780
38 km or 24 mi Union
$3137
39 km or 24 mi San Ramon
$2859
39 km or 24 mi Vallejo
$2380
39 km or 24 mi Novato
$3182
39 km or 24 mi Benicia
$2807
41 km or 25 mi Concord
$2783
42 km or 26 mi Menlo Park
$3395
42 km or 26 mi East Palo Alto
$3382
43 km or 27 mi Newark
$3261
45 km or 28 mi Dublin
$3094
46 km or 28 mi Palo Alto
$3805